Re: Modern A2 successor

["Arkain" <rwking@no.usa.spam.net>]

Roy and/or Janet Miller <millers@inetnebr.com> wrote in message
3980B090.8C44665E@inetnebr.com">news:3980B090.8C44665E@inetnebr.com...
> Arkain wrote:
>
> > You really don't get it do you...
> > Let me try to explain my theory. Keep reading....
>
> :-) perhaps we are talking past one another here, but I suspect that you
> haven't gotten my point.

I got your point. You see this as being purely a hobyist machine. I see it
as being a hobyist machine w/ potential practical applications and uses. It
may even have the possibility of reclaimimg the old A2 market... but that's
probably just wishful thinking.

> >
> > Roy and/or Janet Miller <millers@inetnebr.com> wrote in message
> > 3980A145.83835F80@inetnebr.com">news:3980A145.83835F80@inetnebr.com...
> > > Arkain wrote:
> > >
> > > > ??? What??? Don't you have any imagination? There are only at least
10
> > > > specific things that I could use the slots for...
> > > >
> > > > Unlisted posibilities for the slots:
> > > >
> > > >  1. Ethernet cards
> > >
> > > The problem here of course, is the bus is a tight bottleneck.
> >
> > An 8 bit 50Mhz bus can easily handle up to 4 100Mbit cards. A 64bit
50Mhz
> > bus can even deal with up to 3 1Gbit cards. I can't say that I see your
> > bottleneck just yet.
>
> But that *isn't* the Apple II bus. Woz's bus is a 1 mhz 8 bit bus. That's
the
> bottleneck. Even on the IIGS, the slots are still 8 bit 1 mhz slots. I'd
be
> surprised if you could push it much past 8 mhz. Pleasantly surprised, but
> surprised none the less.

No. It's not. I said that this new machine would be a "modern" version of
the older system. With that in mind, I'd need a faster bus. I can always
create a controller to handle the cards requiring the 1Mhz bus speed.

> > > >
> > > >  3. Modem cards
> > >
> > > Who's gonna make a XTII modem?
> >
> > Who cares? Make 14.4, 28.8 or 56K modems, or even faster if you like.
>
> I care. Why would you create a slot that will never be filled?

... because I wouldn't say never since I think it just might....

<snipped>
> > > >
> > > >  5. Co-processor cards
> > >
> > > Ditto
> >
> > Suppose I want to run CP/M?
>
> Then you don't need extended slots - or all 7 of the II slots.

You're right there, but I say better safe than sorry. Besides, I'd like to
see new hardware developed for it.

> >
> > > >
> > > >  6. Scsi cards
> > >
> > > Ditto
> >
> > You must be a Mac user. PC's don't usually come with built-in SCSI
support,
> > just as Mac's don't usually come with EIDE-ATA support. I chose EIDE
over
> > SCSI for it's low price and relative simplicity.
>
> Actually, I use various machines, depending on what I'm doing. But I
thought
> you said in the post above that you would put SCSI on the motherboard,
which is
> why I wrote "ditto." Perhaps I was wrong, if so ya got me. :-)

I think you misread it.

> >
> > > >  7. USB cards
> > > >  8. FireWire cards
> > >
> > > Ditto for both - though, I'm so far behind that I really don't know
what
> > I'd do
> > > with either of these :-)
> >
> > Most peopple don't use them, but that doen't mean that no one will want
> > them! Some folks are satisfied just having the option.
> >
> > > >
> > > >  9. Video Capture cards
> > > > 10. TV Video/S Video out cards
> > >
> > > Cool - but PCI cards already exist for these, and who will design and
> > > manufactor these in the dozens?
> >
> > Who cares? That soen't mean that no one will try. After all, it's just
> > another possibility.
>
> Well you see, that's my point. There are so very few hardware projects
around
> because there are so few people to sell them to. Like with modems, an
existing
> bus (ISA/Microchannel/PCI/Nubus) that has cards I can already buy and use
(I
> guess that rules out Microchannel and EISA) would make more sense than an
> extension to a 23 year old bus. Of course, if you were going to do this
just
> for your own pleasure have fun, and I'd love to see it run sometime. But I
> wouldn't buy such a motherboard, because I sincerely doubt that there
would
> ever be cards available to put in the slots. I'd love to be proven wrong
> though!

But if this project manages to reclaim some reasonable protion of the old A2
market then the work I will have put in will be justified.

Arkain